Russia's offensive in Kursk region is political operation to pressure negotiations - Ukrainian official
Photo: Roman Kostenko (facebook.com/kostenko.roman83)
The situation in Russia's Kursk region remains difficult. Russian forces bolster their reserves and deploy North Korean soldiers for an offensive against Ukrainian forces, stated the Secretary of the Verkhovna Rada Committee on National Security, Defense, and Intelligence Roman Kostenko in a comment to the RBC-Ukraine YouTube channel.
"For them, it's already a political issue. They are throwing everything they have there, changing their priorities. Until recently, their priority was to seize more land in the east of our country, before the inauguration."
According to him, the Kremlin now sees that certain peace talks are already underway. That is why Russian leader Vladimir Putin uses all forces to push the Ukrainian army out of the Kursk region.
"This is a political operation on their part to secure more opportunities to bargain in those negotiations. The situation is difficult, worsened by the weather, with muddy conditions that force us to rely on logistical routes controlled by the enemy," he said.
He emphasized that Ukrainian forces in the Kursk region are operating under tough conditions but are determined to maintain at least a foothold on Russian territory, creating a buffer zone to prevent Russian shelling of Ukraine.
Fighting in Kursk region
In August 2024, Ukraine's Defense Forces launched the Kursk operation, capturing around 100 settlements and creating a buffer zone.
The Ukrainian command stated that the operation was a preventive step to prevent Russia's offensive in northern Ukraine. However, by the end of the year, Russia began deploying North Korean troops to the region. In early February, their offensive intensified to push Ukrainian forces out.
By early March this year, the situation in the region escalated. Russia claimed it had surrounded Ukrainian troops, but the General Staff of the Ukrainian Armed Forces and President Volodymyr Zelenskyy denied this.
President Zelenskyy also reported that Russia was amassing forces near Ukraine's eastern border, signaling a potential strike on the Sumy region.
